As the nights draw in and winter approaches, we’re steering away from salads and BBQs to more warming feasts like roast dinners and casseroles – and that’s where the humble roasting tin comes in. It’s officially its time to shine.
In our opinion, the best of the bunch don’t stain quickly, are easy to clean and are as proficient at making pie as they are roast pork. But if, like this writer, your roasting tins look less than a little loved, perhaps its time to branch out and purchase some new ones before the cold snaps really set in.
Now, comfort food is what this writer is all about: we love a good pasta bake and lasagna (the more melted cheese, the better in our opinion) or any excuse to whip up a pot of gravy to pour all over perfectly crisp on the outside, yet fluffy on the inside spuds is fine by us. But we want a tray that can do all that and more.
For us, a good roasting tray will be easy to manoeuvre around our crowded kitchen – complete with black lab under foot – easy to clean and move between traybakes and ‘tatos without so much as blinking.
How we tested
Over the last month, we’ve been whipping up a range of comforting meals in a variety of roasting tins. All were tested on their ability to make a good roast potato, as well as other meals such as toad in the hole, pizza traybakes and more. We didn’t want them to cost the earth, and only included one item north of £100 because the set felt like pure luxury. They also had to clean up like new in order to be featured. And these are the nine that topped the class.
The best roasting tins for 2024 are:
Prestige x Nadiya medium roast and bake tray
When a brand teams up with a former winner of the Great British Bake Off, we listen – and this roasting and baking tray was certainly worthy of our best buy accolade. Made from heavy gauge steel we were concerned it could be on the heavy side, however it’s incredibly lightweight and we were instantly obsessed with the teal exterior. Inside though, is where this tray really shines.
The raised pattern on the bottom claims to improve air flow and release, while allowing for perfect roasting and browning and we can confirm it lives up to these claims. We made roast potatoes in this once and, call us crazy, but they tasted even better than usual. Crisp on the outside, fluffy and flavoursome on the inside and no bits were left behind. It’s now become our go to tray every Sunday for our roasties and parsnips and we won’t be turning back anytime soon, especially as it comes with a 10 year guarantee too.
Buy now £11.99, Amazon.co.uk
Robert Dyas medium non-stick roast and bake pan
Roasting tins can be very versatile and so you’ll want one you can use all the time should your heart desire it without degrading, and we think Robert Dyas might be able to do just that and for just over a tenner. Not only is this medium roast pan of good quality - it’s made from carbon steel and feels extremely robust and sturdy – it has deep sides to keep all your ingredients in place.
We found it kept even our more ambitious traybakes such as Moroccan chicken cous cous (with all the veggies and stock to boot) in place and cooked it evenly and kept it juicy. And thanks to the non-stick coating, it too washed up nicely. We’ve used ours almost daily since and the coating, colour and wear of the piece is almost non-existant and the quality hasn’t wavered. A great choice for everyday roasting and cooking.
Buy now £11.49, Robertdyas.co.uk
Staub ceramique 3-pcs rectangular ovenware set light blue
Considering that most kitchen and ovenware comes in the same shades of black and grey, these pastel dishes from Staub feel like a breath of fresh air. Coming in a pastel blue or pink they’ll be the prettiest cookware you own as well as one of the most functional.
Another set that comes with three different sizes as standard, you’ll be able to cook for any occasion and impress while doing so. Made from natural ceramic, food cooks beautifully in these dishes – our chicken pot pie was juicy and rich and yet our roast pork crackled to perfection. Clean up was easy as they’re dishwasher safe and, as we inevitably ended up with leftovers, we loved that there was no need to faff about with tupperware: these are also freezer and microwave safe.
They won’t make the most whopping sized meals, so we’d say they’d be better suited to a smaller household and though they are weighty, the handles do ensure they’re easier to carry around. This would have been our best buy if not for the price.
Buy now £94.95, Zwilling.com
Zyliss durable non-stick large deep oven baking tray
Having been pleasantly surprised by this brand in our review of the best baking trays, we were keen to see if it’s deeper tray – that’s more akin to a roasting tin – would live up to the hype too. Unsurprisingly it did.
In the same navy blue colourway, this is yet another nice break from the same old black and grey we’re used to, and the quality is even better. It has a large lip all around the edge which is helpful for taking it in and out of the oven, is made from a heavy guage steel to prevent warping and distributes heat evenly.
We made a range of dishes in this tray, best of all was probably our pigs in blankets (yes we were gearing up for Christmas before the cold snap began) as they cooked nice and crisp and even. And while the roasties didn’t come out quite as crisp as they did in the Prestige dish, nothing got stuck and everything washed away effortlessly.
Buy now £13.75, Amazon.co.uk
Emma Bridgewater black toast cast iron roaster
Just getting this one out of the box was a challenge due to the weight, so if you’re not someone who regularly hits the gym, be warned. However, considering it’s made of cast iron we’re hardly surprised and the proof of this one’s quality is very much in the (Yorkshire) pudding.
As it spelled out two of our favourite meals on the sides, we made both in this roaster and have never looked back. Lasagna was juicy yet crisp on top, and the toad in the hole was the best we’ve ever had: our sausages were roasted to perfection and the yorkshire was light fluffy and didn’t get left behind. While it did lose a point for not being able to be bunged in the dishwasher – make sure to use a non abrasive, mild, cream detergent and cleaner as the directions dictate – we found it cleaned up brilliantly after both meals.
With its quintessential Emma Bridgewater look - that identifiable font, simple colourway and sleek lines – this would look at home in any farmhouse kitchen and we were instantly obsessed and are sure you will be too, so long as you can lift it!
Buy now £90.00, Emmabridgewater.com
Peugot appolia slate ceramic rectangular baking dish
This baking dish is perfect for making delicious traybakes, roast dinners and more. First off, a word about the design: with sleek handles for easy grip it’s easy to grab hold of, and though it’s ceramic it’s not ridiculously heavy either.
We roasted a leg of lamb in this tray as well as made a delicious pizza chicken traybake and we have to say it was among the best our food has ever tasted. Both meats were cooked perfectly, leaving the chicken breast succulent and juicy, while the lamb was tender and melted in the mouth.
Clean up was easy too as, thanks to the enamel coating, even when peppers and onions had burnt to the sides, they quickly scrubbed off without taking the non-stick coating with it. Its rounded corners also made it a breeze to make sure nothing was left behind. And as the size is so substantial it’s ideal for serving six or seven people – though we found it could stretch to about eight. So we know we’ll be banging this dish out every time we host a dinner party – which looks like it’s about to become much more frequent.
Buy now £30.40, Amazon.co.uk
Our Place bakeware set
For home bakers with cash to splash, the stunning bakeware set from Our Place is hard to beat. Coming in a range of colours and complete with everything from an oven mat and griddle pan (that does everything from bake and roast to grill and crisp) to a trio of stone dishes, it’s a set that will be as stylish as it is useful in your kitchen.
While the griddle pan was undoubtedly a secure and sturdy piece of kit – its strong handles make it effortless to manoeuvre around the kitchen though will be too large for some standard ovens – for the purpose of this review we’ll focus only on the trio of bakers.
Firstly, we’re a sucker for any set that stacks neatly inside one another, and these dishes do just that allowing us to maximise on storage, but we were also wowed by their baking and roasting performance. All three dishes are nice and deep allowing for plenty of food to be contained without issue - perfect for the food prepper or party hostess. We made everything from our take on a steak and gravy pie to lemon drizzle cakes in these dishes and always found we wound up with more than required. Plus, despite making dishes where the sauce usually stains and bakes on, just a quick rinse under hot water and spin in the dishwasher had these shining like new in no time. It is a pricey set, but for the quality we cannot fault it.
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Buy now £165.00, Fromourplace.co.uk
George non-stick baking tray set 4 piece
Whether you’re on a budget, a student or simply don’t have the money to splash out on some of the more expensive roasters in this round up, Asda’s George is always on hand to help with purse-friendly options, and these roasters will make a great everyday tin.
As part of a great value set from the supermarket, these roasting tins will be great to set you up in your new digs or just when you need a new tray in a hurry. They may not be much to look at compared to others on this list, but their ability to get the job done warrants them a place. Roasties cooked up nicely, as did a piri-piri chicken traybake and nothing got baked on or proved difficult to wash up. We didn’t have any issues with warping and liked that the two different sizes meant we could whip up a quick dinner for two or a feast for the whole family. Sometimes you really don’t have to look far or break the bank for good quality.
Buy now £11.00, Asda.com
Emma Bridgewater polka dot enamel roasting dish
Bringing a splash of colour to the kitchen is this Emma Bridgewater roasting dish. Now this isn’t the largest one on test by any means, but it’s lightweight, versatile, and, unsurprisingly, of incredible quality.
We first used ours when cooking an intimate dinner for two. Our gammon steaks roasted evenly in this tray and came out beautifully juicy. Since then we’ve used it for all manner of meals and the results have always been the same – great tasting food that’s succulent and falls apart. Perhaps our favourite meal to make in these has become shredded hunters chicken as the meat just melts in the mouth.
Tastiness aside, this roasting tray really can do it all: it can be used for cooking on gas, electric and induction hobs, can be put in the oven and also the freezer. Plus, it’s dishwasher safe and trust us, no stain is too tricky to get off, and its porcelain enamel surface means its incredibly durable and even after weeks and months of use, it still looks good as new.
Buy now £42.00, Emmabridgewater.co.uk
The verdict: Roasting tins
There was a lot to love about all the tins we tested, but for a quintessential roasting tin the Prestige x Nadiya tray really did stand out. Roast potatoes have never tasted so good and it’s become a go to ever since. As for other favourites on the line up: the Peugot appolia set would be our go to for feeding large families and, aside from its weight, we really cannot fault the Emma Bridgewater cast iron roaster for its ability to turn out perfect lasagnas time and again. Budget conscious shoppers should look to Zyliss and Robert Dyas for great everyday options.
For more cooking companions, read our review of the best saucepan sets
